Colonel Meridee Trimble is the Advisor to the International Programs Council at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. Previously, as the Director of International Programs and an Assistant Professor of Japanese, she led a team of 10 military and civilian program, operations, and budget managers, operated a $3M budget for seven programs, served as the Superintendent’s (O-9) liaison to over 60 U.S. Embassy staffs, and oversaw an 80-member cadet staff. The programs facilitate the annual movement abroad of over 450 cadets, staff, and faculty, including: Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program, Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad Program, Cadet Semester Study Abroad Program, Foreign Academy Visit Program, Cultural Immersion Program, Four-Year International Cadet Program, Military Personnel Exchange Program, and International Week Program. She taught 160 contact hours of Japanese to cadets annually and led an 11-cadet cohort on a one-month language immersion to Japan. She led 3-cadet delegations to the Indonesian Air Force Academy, National Defense University of Malaysia, and Thai Air Force Academy and 3-cadet delegations on Cultural Immersion Programs to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Col Trimble is a USINDOPACOM Foreign Area Officer specializing in Indonesia and a Level III Joint Qualified Officer. Before the Academy, she was the Chief of Women, Peace, and Security and Deputy Chief of the Southeast Asia Branch at HQ Pacific Air Forces, International Affairs Division in Hawaii, where she also served on the FAO 2030 Tiger Team. She planned international engagements as the Chief of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Strategy and Plans Division Chief at Osan AB, Republic of Korea. She was a Southeast Asia Country Portfolio Director at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Virginia, and facilitated the sale of defense articles and services through the management of foreign military sales, foreign military financing, and international military education and training cases.

Prior to studying Indonesian at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in 2011, she directed the USINDOPACOM Theater for Special Operations Forces Course at the USAF Special Operations School, in Florida. She delivered mission-tailored country-specific lectures about Southeast Asian and South Asian countries in preparation for Joint Combined Exchange Training and capacity-building engagements and presented the lectures, Geophysical Introduction to the Indo-Pacific Region and U.S. Foreign Policy and the Air Force Special Operations Command in Asia.

Col Trimble deployed in support of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom to Saudi Arabia, Diego Garcia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Qatar. She completed two Korean language immersions in Seoul, South Korea in 2005 and 2008. She was selected for the Quality of Analysis Program to Malaysia and Singapore in 2010 and to Burma in 2017 and was selected as a CSAF Political Advisor Fellow to the U.S. Embassy in Timor-Leste in 2012. She was selected to the Air Force Culture and Language Center’s Language Enabled Airman Program for Indonesian and attended Indonesian language immersions in Ubud in 2014 and 2019 and Yogyakarta in 2015 and 2023, Jakarta in 2024, and a Brazilian Portuguese immersion program at San Diego State University in 2022. She has been a member of the Foreign Area Officer Association since 2010, was accepted into the National Language Service Corps for the Indonesian language in 2019, served on the Editorial Board of the Foreign Area Officer Journal of International Affairs from 2020-2023, and attended JFAOC II in 2022 in Washington D.C. and in 2024 in Singapore.

Academic Education
Doctor of Philosophy, Educational Management (Higher Education), Hampton University, Va. (2016)

Associate of Arts, Indonesian, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Calif. (2011)

Associate of Arts, Korean, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Calif. (2011)

Master of Arts, National Security Affairs (Far East), Naval Postgraduate School, Calif. (2007)

Master of Arts, International Relations (Conflict Resolution), St. Mary’s University, Texas (1999)

Master of Arts, Management and Human Resources Development, Webster University, Mo. (1998)

Bachelor of Arts, Asian Studies, Thomas Edison State University, N.J. (1996)

Associate of Applied Science, Communications Applications Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Ala. (1996)

Professional Military Education
Air War College (distance), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (2018)

Joint and Combined Warfighting School (residence), Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. (2016)

Air Command and Staff College (distance), Maxwell AFB, Ala. (2012)

Squadron Officer School (distance and residence), Maxwell AFB, Ala. (2010)

Air and Space Basic Course (residence), Maxwell AFB, Ala. (2004)

Advisor, International Programs Council, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (November 2024-Present)

Director, International Programs and Assistant Professor of Japanese, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (August 2022-November 2024)

Chief, Strategic Languages Division and Assistant Professor of Japanese, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (June 2021-August 2022)

Chief, Women, Peace, and Security, HQ PACAF – International Affairs, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii (September 2020-June 2021)

Deputy Chief, Southeast Asia Branch, HQ PACAF – International Affairs, Hickam AFB, Hawaii (March 2020-September 2020)

Southeast Asia Country Director, HQ PACAF – International Affairs, Hickam AFB, Hawaii (June 2017-March 2020)

Chief, ISR Strategy and Plans Division, 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea (June 2016-June 2017)

Director, Southeast Asia Portfolio, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Va. (April 2012-June 2016)

Foreign Area Officer Immersion in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Philippines, Thailand (October 2011-April 2012)

Indonesian Basic Course, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Ctr., Calif. (December 2011-October 2011)

Director, PACOM Theater for Special Operations Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla. (April 2010-December 2010)

Officer in Charge, Unit Support, 609th Air and Space Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (April 2009-April 2010)

Director, PACOM Theater for Special Operations Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla. (December 2007-April 2009)

Student, National Security Affairs – Far East, Naval Postgraduate School, Calif. (June 2006-December 2007)

Intelligence Officer, 6th Operations Support Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. (December 2003-June 2006)

Student, Intelligence Officer Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas (February 2003-December 2003)

Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (November 2002-February 2003)

Assistant Coordinator for Traditional Commander in Chief Activities, U.S. Embassy, Argentina (July 2002-November 2002)

Assistant Coordinator for Traditional Commander in Chief Activities, U.S. Embassy, Argentina (July 2002-November 2002)

Reservist, Homestead ARB and USSOUTHCOM, Fla. (March 1999_July 2002)

Plans and Programs Technician, Air Force Information Warfare Center, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas (December 1996-March 1999)

Intelligence Analyst, Asia Branch, Air Force Information Warfare Center, Kelly AFB, Texas (December 1996-September 1997)

Korean Airborne Cryptologic Linguist Specialist, 390th Intelligence Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan (December 1994-December 1996)

Survival School – SERE, Special, Water, Physiological, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. (October 1994-December 1994)

Korean Cryptology Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas (May 1994-October 1994)

Korean Basic Course, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Calif. (May 1993-May 1994)

Basic Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas (April 1993-May 1993)

Summary of Joint Assignments

Southeast Asia Country Portfolio Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Va., as a captain and major (July 2012-June 2016)

Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC)

Aerial Achievement Medal Air Force Commendation Medal (3 OLC)

Joint Service Achievement Medal Air Force Achievement Medal (1 OLC)

Other Achievements

Commandant’s Distinguished Writing Award, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College (2016)

Distinguished Graduate, Hampton University (2015)

International Language and Culture Foundation Award for Excellence (Indonesian), DLIFLC (2011)

Highest Honors (Indonesian), Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (2011)

Distinguished Graduate, Webster University (1998)

Martin Kellogg Award (Korean), Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (1994)

Commandant’s Award (Korean), Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (1994)